Humidifier for cigar cases



June 12, 1928. 1,673,169

J. A. WARD HUMIDIFIER FOR CIGAR CASES Filed May 14, 1927 till-WARD- Patented June 12, 1928.

- UNITED STATES JAMES A. WAR-13, or MADLARD,-IOWA.

HUMIDIFIER non CIGAR oAsn's.

Application filed May 14,

The object of this invention is to provide an improved humidifying device for cigar and tobacco cases which is so arranged as to supply moisture uniformly to all parts of the case.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the class described, which is of very durable construction, economical to manufacture and etlicient in use.

A. further object 'of the invention is to provide a. device of the class described, which is designed to extend over the entire base or shelf of acase and to constitute a support for tobacco containers.

lVith these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the construction, ar rangement and combination of elements hereinafter set forth, pointed out in the claims and indicated by the accompanying 20 drawing in which- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the humiditier assembled in position for use, a portion being broken away.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through a cigar case equipped with my improved humidifier.

Fig. 3 is a detail section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 illustrating particularly the method of supplying moisture to the absorbent sheet or wick.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing particularly the trough which is employed to contain the water. Y

I have employed the numeral to designate. generally a cigar or tobacco case which is formed with a base or shelf 11 for the goods. My improved humidifier is designed to entirely cover the base or shelf 11 and constitute a support for cigar boxes or other containers such as 12. I employ a metallic trough 13 which is here shown to be sub stantially circular in cross section and formed with a relatively narrow longitudinal slot 14 at its top and extending from end to end thereof. The trough 13 is provided with end members 15 which preferably project beyond the side walls of the trough and are formed with straight lower margins adapted to rest upon a support and hold the trough in stable condition. The trough 13 preferably is of a length corresponding to the width of the support or shelf 11 upon which the humidifier is to be placed and usually is placed in a central position thereon as shown in Fig. 2. Two base member-s 16 and 17 ordinarily are em- 1927. Serial no. 191,281.

ployed, oneon each side of the trough 13 and extending to the respective ends of the support or shelf 11'. The base members 16, 17 are formed of any suitable durable material which is impervious to moisture such for instance, sheet rock, gypsum slabs or the like, which may be provided with a suitable covering such as 18. Fixed to .the lower faces of the base members 16 and 17 are spaced, transversely extending cleats 19 designed to rest upon the support or shelf 11 and hold the base members 16 and 17 in spaced relation thereto. A wick 20 of absorbent material and in sheet form is provided, which wick is of a width correspond ing substantially to the width'of the base members 16 and- 17 and of a length somewhat greater than the combined lengths of said base members. The sheet wick 20 is designed to be spread upon the base members 16 and 17 and to cover the same and extend over the trough 13-, the central portion of said wick being inserted through the slot 14k and occupying a position within the trough and submerged in water contained therein as clearly shown in Fig. 3. VVhenthe trough is supplied with water, the wick 20 absorbs and becomes saturated with the water and carries it to all portions of the case 10, thus distributing the moisture uniformly to the contents of all the containers 12-. The trough 13 is formed with one or more filling apertures 21 preferably near the ends of the slot 14, which apertures are designed to receive a removable funnel such as 22 at times for convenience in supplying the trough with water.

Superposed upon the base members 16 and 17 are perforated sheets 23 and 2 1 which are provided with transversely tending cleats 25 on their lower faces which rest directly upon the wick 20 and support the perforated sheets in spaced relation thereto. The sheets 23 and 2 1 may be formed of any suitable metal such as Zinc or other non-rusting metal and it is upon these sheets that the tobacco containers 12 are designed to rest. The sheets 23 and 21 together cover the entire area of the support or shelf 11 and extend at their inner margins over the trough 13 whereby all the other portions of the humidifier are covered by said sheets. The sheets 23 and 24 are provided with apertures 26 which register with the filling apertures 21 of the trough for receiving the spout of the funnel 22.

ably included within their scope.

1 claim 1. A humidifier for cigar cases and the likecomprising a trough formed with a Iongitudinal slot, a base member of impervious material designed to be arranged adjacent said trough, a nick member ofsheet form adapted to substantially cover said base member and to extend within said trough, and a perforated sheet superposed on and spaced above the base member and wick and designed to constitute a support for tobacco containers.

2. A humidifier for cigar cases and the like comprising a trough formed with a longitudinal slot, a base member of impervious material designed to be arranged adjacent said trough, a wick member of sheet form adapted to substantially cover said base member and to extend within said trough, a perforated sheet superposed on and spaced above the base member and wick and designed to constitute a, support for tobacco containers, said perforated sheet being formed with an enlarged aperture 'and the trough being formedwith a filling aperture registering therewith.

3. A humidifier for cigar cases and the like comprising an nnpervlous base member, a trough arranged along'one margin of said base member and formed with a longitudinal slot, a Wick member of sheet form superposed on'said base member and having a portion extending through the slot of said trough, and a perforated sheet superposed on said base member and formed with cleats on its lower face resting on said wick on itslower face resting on said wick mem-,

her, said perforated sheet projecting over said trough and designed to constitute a support for tobacco'containers,

5. A humidifier for cigar cases and the like comprising an'impervious base member, a trough arranged along one marginof said base member and formed with a longitudinal slot, a wick member of sheet form superposed on said base member and having a portion extending through the slot of said trough, and a perforated sheet superposed on said base member and formed with cleats on its lower face resting on said wick memher, said perforated sheet projecting over said trough and designed to constitute a support for tobacco containers, said perforated sheet being formed with an enlarged opening and the trough being formed with a filling opening registering therewith.

JAMES A. WARD. 

